FDA APPROVES MANY DRUGS

1.CABOZANTINIB, A AMULTIKINASE INHIBITOR,
with action on RET, VEGFR2, RET,
It gave a Progression free survival of 11months Vs 4 months for placebo
Indication: Metastatic Medullary Thyroid cancer
the study was not powered to show survival benefit.

THIS THE SAME DRUG WHICH OF INTEREST IN OVARIAN CANCER (AFLIBERCEPT,ANOTHER DRUG OF INTEREST,  HAS BEEN COMBINED TO TAXOTERE IN THIS DISEASE )

2.Earlier Use of Abiraterone approved
in April 2011, this drug was approved fur use after failure of Taxotere and prednisone
(continue Prednisone while on Abiraterone)
Now the drug can be used before Docetaxel.
side effect include fatigue joint pain and swelling, hot flush, diarrhea, vomiting high blood pressure cough bruising and Urinary tract infection.

3.Other news
Treatment Sequencing in Metastatic prostate cancer
1. Local therapy for early disease (Radiation Vs Surgery)
2. Androgen Deprivation +/-  RT (with pelvic disease)
3. consider Sipuleucel-T, an autologous cellular immunotherapy for treatement of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic disease (3 doses Q2weeks)
4. or go to Abiraterone (Apharadin, Enzalutamide)
5. Docetaxel and prednisone
6. Cabazitaxel

with bone involvement demonstrated Zometa or Denosumab indicated.

4. OTHER NEWS.
clinical importance
Circulating Breast cancer cells of <5 cells by 7.5 cc of blood   Vs  >5 cells,  progression free survival
21,9 months Vs 10.9 months.  CTC (circulating tumor cells) is held by some as the best predictor of recurrence.
This technology is being pushed in Melanoma, here surrogate for cell counts are MART-1, MAGE-A3 and GalNAC-T.  At 57 months follow-up, 15 of 32 patients with 2 or more markers at diagnosis had recurrent disease! That is 47%.


From Oncology/Biotech News.